Deadly Vows by Shirlee McCoy

about doing. Especially when he wasn’t sure how trustworthy those people were.
    “What now?” Olivia asked, as he idled near the parking lot entrance.
    “I guess we go meet McGraw’s men.”
    “You don’t sound happy about it.”
    “I’m not, but I’m not sure we have any choice.”
    “I thought we’d already decided this was the best option?” As always, Olivia was reasonable and calm, but Ford could sense the anxiety in her words. Now wasn’t the time to let her know how worried he was or how much he wondered if turning themselves over to the FBI was theright thing to do. They were committed to the plan, and adding extra stress to Olivia’s life wasn’t something Ford wanted to do.
    “We did,” he said, pulling through the hospital parking lot, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. They were being watched. He was sure of it. He just hoped the people watching were the good guys.
    “Did Special Agent McGraw say who was going to meet us?” Olivia asked, and Ford was sure he could hear the fear in her voice. That couldn’t be good for the baby. Weren’t pregnant women supposed to avoid extreme stress?
    He frowned. He’d planned to avoid thinking about the baby until after the trial. Seemed his mind had other ideas. “No. Just that we’d be met by some of his people.”
    “Maybe Micah will be here. He and Special Agent McGraw are brothers, you know,” she said almost absently, and Ford knew she was as busy scanning the parking lot as he was.
    “I’d wondered.”
    “They are. I think Jackson is older, but I only saw him twice, and it’s hard to remember exactly what he looked like. I do know that he seemed like a really kind man.”
    “Jackson McGraw, kind?”
    “Yes, why?”
    “He seemed more obstinate and annoying than kind when I met him,” Ford responded. Though he couldn’t say Jackson McGraw had been rude or unkind. It was more that he’d been determined to discourage Ford from going after Olivia. It hadn’t worked because Ford was just as obstinate and determined as the FBI agent.
    Ford followed the emergency room signs to the back of the building. The area was quiet. A few cars were parkedin the lot, but they were far enough out that Ford couldn’t see if anyone was in them. He pulled up behind a car that idled in the drop-off area, his pulse racing with nerves. Anyone could hop out of the idling vehicle. Good guy. Bad guy. And the unknown filled him with the kind of stone-cold fear he’d only ever felt once before.
    What he needed was a weapon. A gun would work. It had been years since he’s served in the marines, but he figured he could still hit a target if he needed to. Too bad he hadn’t thought of that before he’d found Olivia. Weaponless, he wasn’t going to stand much of a chance against armed men.
    His cell phone rang, and Olivia jumped, screaming loudly enough to nearly break Ford’s eardrums. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to convey confidence as he lifted the phone to his ear. From the look of stark terror in her face, his efforts weren’t paying off.
    “Hello?”
    “Ford? Jackson McGraw here. I’ve got two marshals and an agent moving toward you. Two men. One woman. Look out your back window. You should see them.”
    Ford shifted so he could do as he’d been asked. Just as Jackson said, three figures were moving toward the car. He couldn’t tell their gender, but he was sure they were McGraw’s people. “I see them.”
    “Good. Stay put until they’re at the car. They’ll escort you to your ride. We’ve got a few other people guarding the perimeter of the parking lot, so your safety is assured.”
    Just like Olivia’s safety had been assured in Pine Bluff?
    Ford didn’t ask. No sense pouring salt on an open wound, and there was no sense needling a man who was obviously doing the best he could to keep Olivia safe. Theproblem was, Ford wasn’t sure McGraw’s best was going to be good enough. He wasn’t sure anyone’s best would